Readers Guide: A few books that might appeal to ‘Downton Abbey’ fans

Wednesday

Feb 13, 2013 at 7:26 PMFeb 13, 2013 at 7:28 PM

Margaret Powell, whose tales of life as a kitchen maid in one of England's great houses inspired “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes, reveals the true story of an under-parlour maid who married her employer's only son.

by Susie Stooksbury/Special to The Oak Ridger

Margaret Powell, whose tales of life as a kitchen maid in one of England's great houses inspired “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes, reveals the true story of an under-parlour maid who married her employer's only son. The marriage between Rose and Gerald Wardham set off terrible shockwaves among both the family and the servants at Redlands, the Wardham ancestral estate. Margaret dishes all the details in “Servants' Hall: a Real Life Upstairs, Downstairs Romance” (641.509).

Fay Weldon, who wrote the original screenplay for “Upstairs, Downstairs,” revisits Edwardian England to kick off a new trilogy. “Habits of the House” follows the Earl of Dilberne and his financial woes. The second Boer War has all but ruined his South African mining investments. Torn between facing harsh reality and keeping up appearances, Sir Robert and his wife have only one choice — find a wealthy heiress for their son Arthur. Minnie O'Brien fits the bill nicely. The daughter of a Chicago meat-packing baron, Minnie is all too happy to leave behind a scandal-ridden past. But it seems Arthur has some other ideas of his own.

The death of Osama bin Laden has been the subject of several new books and a recent, well-received movie. Reporter Mark Bowden, author of “Black Hawk Down,” now takes a penetrating look at the long, often frustrating search for al Qaida's top man who had been on the FBI's Most Wanted list since 1997 — four years before 9/11. It took a combination of on-the-ground intelligence, cutting-edge technological surveillance, and dedicated teams of soldiers to bring about “The Finish: the Killing of Osama bin Laden” (958.100).

Although there have been more than two dozen attempts to assassinate U.S. presidents, only four have been successful. Popular novelist Brad Meltzer builds his new thriller around the idea that the four assassinations are linked — and plans are in motion to kill the current chief executive. Beecher White, a member of the ultra-secret Culpepper Ring which is dedicated to preserving the presidency, learns of another clandestine group which has worked for centuries to preserve the name of God by killing various rulers — including presidents. It falls to Beecher to find and stop “The Fifth Assassin.”

Los Angeles policeman Scott James has barely recovered from the assault that took his partner's life and left him severely injured. Now back on duty he is teamed up with a German Shepherd named Maggie who suffered serious traumas of her own in Iraq and Afghanistan. It would be all too easy for both of them to give up, but somehow they begin to forge a bond. Soon they are ready to pursue one goal — to find out who killed Scott's partner — yet it becomes apparent after a while that the story Scott was told about the assault was a tissue of lies. Robert Crais' new standalone thriller is “Suspect.”

Sherlock Holmes is perhaps one of the most enduring fictional characters due to his fascinating ability for deductive reasoning and clear logic. As he points out to Watson, “You see, but you do not observe.” Now we can all see and observe thanks to psychologist and Scientific American columnist Maria Konnikova. She explains how in “Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes” (153.400).

Other new titles:

Fiction — “Shadow Woman,” by Linda Howard;

“Vanity Fare: a Novel of Lattes, Literature, and Love,” by Megan Caldwell;

“A Memory of Light: Book Fourteen, the Final Volume of The Wheel of Time,” by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson;

“Blood Money,” by James Grippando.

Non-fiction — “Great Expectations: the Sons and Daughters of Charles Dickens” (921.000), by Robert Gottlieb.